The present invention is directed to the panel retainer arts, and more particularly to a novel and improved panel retainer having a tapered surface.
Panel retainer members or clips are designed for use in curio cabinets or similar pieces of furniture for retaining shelves or similar panels in place. Often, in such items of furniture, shelves or panels of glass or other materials are set flush into a frame or into surrounding support grooves or shoulders or the like provided therefor. However, such shelves or panels, particularly when formed of glass, should be removable for cleaning or replacement if necessary. Moreover, some shelves or panels may be selectively removable or selectively positionable within the cabinet to form a desired shelf configuration.
The prior art has devised a number of panel retainer members for generally gripping edge parts of the panels or shelves where they rest on grooves or other support members provided therefor. Generally speaking, such retainers include a fastener-receiving portion having a through aperture for accommodating a threaded fastener or screw therethrough. Usually, a wood screw or similar screw is utilized to pass through the aperture and engage a complementary aperture provided therefore in a surface immediately adjacent the panel- or shelf-edge-receiving surface of the furniture. Accordingly, a second, panel-gripping portion of the panel retainer extends outwardly of this fastener-receiving body portion to overlie and engage a top surface of the panel or shelf. Hence, as the fastener is advanced and tightened relative to the adjacent frame, the panel-retaining portion advances relative to the shoulder or other support member underlying the panel or shelf edge to grip the same securely therebetween.
However, many of the prior art panel-engaging arrangements provide only a relatively small surface area in contact with the panel edge. This results in a reduction of the holding power or force gripping engagement with the panel, such that the panel may well slip or move during shipment, or even while in service, due to vibrations or the like. Such movement or shifting can of course result in damage or breakage of the panel, particularly when glass shelves or panels are used. Moreover, when only a relatively small surface area of the retainer is in contact with the panel, the load on the panel due to tightening of the retainer fastener will be imposed on a relatively small area of surface contact. Such excessive per unit area forces can also cause damage or breakage of the panel, and particularly of a glass shelf or panel, at or around the points or areas of contact with the retainer.
Accordingly, we have determined that it is most advantageous to maximize the holding power of the retainer while minimizing the per unit area load imposed thereby upon the panel.